# Is my Oasis XL really that inaccurate?



## Leafs42084 (Sep 15, 2010)

Hi guys,

I have roughly a 150-200 count humidor, and I own 2 digital hygrometers along with the Oasis XL.

Yesterday, I did the salt calibration test on the 2 digital hygrometers and they both showed 71%, meaning whatever value I have on them, I need to add 4%.

I put it into my humidor with the Cigar Oasis set to 67%. Whats weird is that one of the digital hygrometers reads 67%, while the other reads 69%... and theyre in virtually the exact same spot.

If we add 4% to the 69%, that means my cigar oasis is off by 6%?

And whats up with the two digital hygrometers giving different readings when I did the test just yesterday, and both were at 71%.

Anyone have any ideas?


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## bazookajoe (Nov 2, 2006)

Yes, the hygrometers in Cigar Oasis units are notorious for being off by several points, but once you know how far off it is just adjust for the difference and it will work fine.


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## Leafs42084 (Sep 15, 2010)

bazookajoe said:


> Yes, the hygrometers in Cigar Oasis units are notorious for being off by several points, but once you know how far off it is just adjust for the difference and it will work fine.


Any ideas on the digital hygrometers? and why they are 2% off from eachother when they were both calibrated last night?


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## 68 Lotus (Jan 13, 2011)

I checked mine and other Hygrometers against the 65% & 69% Boveda paks!

Removing the reservoir off the Oasis prior to testing, I had spot on repeatability in both! 

After a couple weeks of experimenting! I Can't say I'm a real Salt test fan! :wink:


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## bazookajoe (Nov 2, 2006)

Leafs42084 said:


> Any ideas on the digital hygrometers? and why they are 2% off from eachother when they were both calibrated last night?


Even the good ones have a variance of + or - 1% so it's common to see differences of a couple of % between them. That's close enough to keep your cigars at the RH you like-you can't tell the difference between a percent or two. The most important thing is to get your cigars to the RH where you like the way they smoke and then use the hygrometer readings to keep them there. I like the Western Caliber III hygrometers and used them with Cigar Oasis units for years.

Even though the Cigar Oasis hygrometer readings are inaccurate they work extremely well once you adjust for the offset. I had to set mine at 73% to maintain 67% but they did that perfectly.


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## E Dogg (Mar 23, 2011)

Leafs42084 said:


> Any ideas on the digital hygrometers? and why they are 2% off from eachother when they were both calibrated last night?


I don't know, it is weird. I had a similar experience with mine except in the reverse direction. They read the same in the humi but 2% off in the boveda calibration kit (basically a salt test). I'd say get it as close to 65% as you can and don't worry about too much.


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## bazookajoe (Nov 2, 2006)

68 Lotus said:


> ...After a couple weeks of experimenting! I Can't say I'm a real Salt test fan! :wink:


Either am I. Too many variables affect the results unless you're in a temp. controlled laboratory, use the EXACT same amount of salt and water each time, etc..

People obsess too much over hygrometer readings IMO. Get a good quality hygrometer, get your cigars to the RH where you like how they smoke, and then just use the hygrometer to monitor for changes.


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## sam1014 (Nov 30, 2009)

my oasis is off by 12..to keep my humi at 65 i have the oasis set at 77..im glad im not the only one with the problem.


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## Leafs42084 (Sep 15, 2010)

UGH, im so confused.

So because I assumed the Oasis reading lower than the actual RH, which was set at 67% before, I reduced it to 65%.

I get home a few hours later and one of my digital hygrometers which read 69% before is now at 70%! how is that even possible! I lowered the RH and the reading on a diff digital hygrometer goes up? 

I feel like this is an impossible puzzle to solve. Which do I trust out of my oasis, and 2 digital hygrometers :s


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## Leafs42084 (Sep 15, 2010)

I guess the best advice is to find where you like how the smokes smoke the best... but sometimes I feel some cigars are tight (which would probably be over humidification), but then again, sometimes I feel like some are a bit more on the dry side than overhumidified.

I feel like my cigars in comparison to the ones I receive when I order/buy are more dry though...


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## bazookajoe (Nov 2, 2006)

Leafs42084 said:


> UGH, im so confused.
> 
> So because I assumed the Oasis reading lower than the actual RH, which was set at 67% before, I reduced it to 65%.
> 
> ...


Adjust the Cigar Oasis until you get the reading you want on the other hygrometer. Don't worry about the reading on the Cigar Oasis, the difference etc.. This is not an exact science and changes in RH can takes weeks to stabilize in a humidor. Patience is the key, and as I said before get the cigars smoking the way you like no matter what the readings are on the hygrometer. Hygrometers are best used for a general idea where you are and then as a way to monitor for changes.


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## Leafs42084 (Sep 15, 2010)

bazookajoe said:


> Adjust the Cigar Oasis until you get the reading you want on the other hygrometer. Don't worry about the reading on the Cigar Oasis, the difference etc.. This is not an exact science and changes in RH can takes weeks to stabilize in a humidor. Patience is the key, and as I said before get the cigars smoking the way you like no matter what the readings are on the hygrometer. Hygrometers are best used for a general idea where you are and then as a way to monitor for changes.


Thanks for the tips Bazookajoe...

I tried something that just worked! I pulled out the batteries and put them back in in both of the digital hygrometers. And I think maybe that recalibrated them, because now all 3 units are reading a same 65%!

I guess I tend to overthink things lol


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## jsjohnson1969 (Jun 29, 2011)

I am dealing with these same problems at the moment, my oasis is way out of wack, it was showing 68 and my digital was showing 72. I pulled the oasis for now and gonna work on getting the settings correct tommorow.


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## Leafs42084 (Sep 15, 2010)

jsjohnson1969 said:


> I am dealing with these same problems at the moment, my oasis is way out of wack, it was showing 68 and my digital was showing 72. I pulled the oasis for now and gonna work on getting the settings correct tommorow.


what do you mean by " getting the settings correct"?

does anyone know if you can salt test the oasis?


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## jsjohnson1969 (Jun 29, 2011)

Leafs42084 said:


> what do you mean by " getting the settings correct"?
> 
> does anyone know if you can salt test the oasis?


Well I think I am dealing with 2 issues at the moment, a faulty digital hygrometer...(changing battery and doing salt test on it).
And the oasis is off, but cant figure out by how much till I get the hygrometer fixed. I know the oasis will show rh at like 79, and the hygrometer at 76, which cant be right because I have taken all KL and Beads out of the humi for the past 2 days to try and stabalize. Every thing is out of the humi as of right now untill I can get this figured out.

Also I am not sure how to get the oasis back to factory settings. It was suppose to be at 75 when I got it.


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## DcStack (Jun 27, 2011)

Just bought same unit having similar issues......


jsjohnson1969 said:


> Well I think I am dealing with 2 issues at the moment, a faulty digital hygrometer...(changing battery and doing salt test on it).
> And the oasis is off, but cant figure out by how much till I get the hygrometer fixed. I know the oasis will show rh at like 79, and the hygrometer at 76, which cant be right because I have taken all KL and Beads out of the humi for the past 2 days to try and stabalize. Every thing is out of the humi as of right now untill I can get this figured out.
> 
> Also I am not sure how to get the oasis back to factory settings. It was suppose to be at 75 when I got it.


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## avitti (Jun 4, 2011)

My hydra xl was originally of by 12 reading 77 when all the salt tested digital hygrometers read 65.. after a few months it now off by six. i was thinking of salt testing it with the boveda salt test pack,big ziplock bag minus the water chamber,however the hygrometers are dead on so just adjusted the hydra.


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## Casey Jones (May 13, 2011)

anyone know if its ok to lay one of these on its side?


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